Page 40 of Inevitable

“Then something else,” Bas said. “I should make you something to drink. Coffee. Maybe a caffeine hit’ll help?”

Ezra made a face. “I don’t feel like eating or drinking anything.”

Bas moved from foot to foot, looking uncharacteristically anxious.

“I could try acupressure?” he offered.

Ezra peered at Bas. “What?”

“You know. Use the pressure points on your body to alleviate the pain.”

Ezra squinted his eyes.

“And that helps?”

“Sometimes. Drew says it does, at least.”

Ezra considered it for a second.

“Is that one of those things where if you’re not a licensed acupuncturist you can make my head explode?”

Bas scoffed. “I would never. The worst that can happen is that all your hair will fall out, but I’m sure you have a perfectly decent-shaped skull, so you’ll still be pretty.”

“That’s reassuring,” Ezra said, but he slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position. “Where do you want me?”

“Give me your hand first. And lean back. You look like you’re about to puke.”

“I’m fine.” He tried not to wince as Bas sat on the bed, making the mattress move and Ezra’s head throb again. The headache was a savage thing in his temples and the back of his head. He hadn’t had one as bad in months, and it was hard not to react as his brain seemed to aimlessly rattle inside his skull. Once Bas was still, the most vicious stabbing subsided, and Ezra’s shoulders relaxed a bit.

“See? Good as new,” he muttered.

Bas was eyeing him with a knowing look and pushed his forefinger against Ezra’s cheek, making him pull away, which resulted in another stab of pain.

“Ah, the wince of a person who’s ready to take over the world,” Bas said.

Ezra didn’t have the energy to think of something sarcastic to say, so he leaned his head back and lifted his hand toward Bas.

“How is this supposed to work, exactly?”

“You press these spots for a few minutes,” Bas said distractedly as he started applying pressure on the soft spot between Ezra’s thumb and index finger, “and then massage them a bit, and it should relieve the pain.”

He worked in silence for a little while.

“Is it helping?”

“Not sure,” Ezra said. “But it’s distracting me at least, so there’s that.”

“Better than nothing,” Bas decided as he continued his ministrations.

Ezra closed his eyes and let himself relax. He wasn’t sure if he was imagining it or not, but it at least felt like the headache was gradually getting less intense. Or maybe it was the fact that Bas’s warm, skillful fingers on his skin were distracting even through the pain.

“You’re good with your hands,” Ezra said after a while. Despite the headache, he was starting to feel a bit better. His body was relaxing into the soft mattress, and he could almost ignore the throbbing in his temples.

Bas chuckled softly.

“Nimble fingers. Practicing all those piano scales has finally come in handy.”

“When did you start playing?” Ezra asked.

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